Changes: Karl Morgenthau (Earth-616)

Karl Morgenthau was the son of a wealthy Swiss banker-turned-diplomat. As a youth, he accompanied his father on his diplomatic missions to various countries, never living in the same place for more than a year. Although he learned to speak several foreign languages fluently, the constant readjustment to new environments hampered his social growth. Consequently, he felt like an outcast and became too introverted to form many friendships.

While living in Tokyo, Morgenthau began to study martial arts, and at fifteen earned his black belt in karate. At the age of nineteen, he followed his father, who had become a delegate to the United Nations, to America and enrolled in Columbia University. He intended to major in political science and follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a diplomat. However, when his father was trampled to death in a riot outside the Latverian embassy, the young man's goals changed. He felt that his father had pursued the goal of world peace and unity far too passively. He would spread the message using the only language he felt the world would respond to, the language of violence.

Flag-Smasher

Employing his vast inheritance to finance his mission, Morgenthau contracted certain unrevealed parties to supply him with an arsenal of experimental weaponry. He then fashioned himself the costumed identity of the Flag-Smasher and returned to New York to begin a campaign of terrorist assaults on symbols of world separatism such as national flags and embassies. Through these random strikes he hoped to convey the message that nationalism is an outmoded concept which tends to promote disunity among the family of man. Learning that the hero Captain America was going to make a public speech, Flag-Smasher held the crowd of hundreds attending the press conference hostage, forcing them to listen to his anti-nationalistic rhetoric. When the confrontation turned physical, Captain America overpowered the Flag-Smasher.^[4]

U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.

Morgenthau was deported from the country, but soon joined the subversive organization U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., whose goals mirrored his own. He hijacked an airliner and held it hostage, demanding Captain America surrender to him. Cap tried to talk him down by agreeing with his vision of world peace, but disagreed with his methods. Cap was forced to take him down with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D..^[5]

It was later revealed the organization U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. was being funded by the Nazi criminal, the Red Skull. Morgenthau, now fleeing for his life and hunted by his own people, was forced to team up with the new Captain America (John Walker) along with Battlestar and Demolition Man. They thwarted their plot to set off a global EMP that would render all technology useless. He revealed that working with the Red Skull would destroy his integrity and ideals.^[6]

Karl usurped the leadership of U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. once again, and attempted to supply weapon to subversives in the US, but was stopped by the vigilante Punisher and Moon Knight.^[7] He later tried to spread anarchy across the country by supplying weapons once again to ne'er-do-wells, but was stopped by the Ghost Rider and the Punisher.^[8]

Roxxon

File:Flag Smasher 003.jpg

with grey skin

Morgenthau was captured and drugged by Calvin Halderman, the CEO of Roxxon who used him to secure the companies oil interests. The drug's mutated him into a monstrous grey creature with no high brain functions and forced to follow his master's orders. He was sent on a mission to assassinate a couple of reporters, who were investigating Roxxon. Captain America intervened and was forced to take down the mind control creature.^[2]

V-Battalion

The Flag-Smasher was installed as the ruler of Rumekistan by the V-Battalion as a compromise between powers.^[9] It was later revealed that the Flag-Smasher had allegedly been assassinated by Domino as part of a series of events which installed Cable as leader of that nation.^[10]

Attributes

Power Grid^[12]

Abilities

Fluent in many languages. Skilled in martial arts.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

He wears a highly resilient costume as body armor and special lenses in his mask which help him resist blinding flashes of light. His principal weapon is a spiked mace, although he has also used, on occasion, a flame-thrower pistol and traditional machine handguns.

Weapons

Mace

Links and References

Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe

References

From Marvel Database, a Wikia wiki.

[Deadpool_Corps_Rank_and_Foul_#1-1] Deadpool Corps: Rank and Foul #1

[Captain_America_Annual_Vol_1_1999-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Captain America Annual #1999

[Captain_America_#312-3] Captain America #312

[Captain_America_Vol_1_312-4] Captain America #312

[Captain_America_Vol_1_321-322-5] Captain America #321–322

[Captain_America_Vol_1_348-349-6] Captain America #348–349

[Marc_Spector_Moon_Knight_Vol_1_8-9-7] Marc Spector: Moon Knight #8–9

[Ghost_Rider_Vol_3_5-6-8] Ghost Rider (Vol. 3) #5–6

[Citizen_V_and_the_V-Battalion_The_Everlasting_Vol_1_1-4-9] Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting #1–4

[Cable_&_Deadpool_Vol_1_#28-10] Cable & Deadpool #28

[11] Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4

[12] Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 4

[1]

[2]

[11]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[12]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Marvel Database:Character Template
+| Quotation           = My mission is to stamp out the outmoded concept of patriotism!
+| Speaker             = [[Karl Morgenthau (Earth-616)|Flag-Smasher]]
+| QuoteSource           = Captain America Vol 1 312
 | Image                   = Karl Morgenthau (Earth-616).JPG
 | RealName                = Karl Morgenthau
@@ Line 20: / Line 23: @@
 | Citizenship             = Swiss
-| MaritalStatus           =
+| MaritalStatus           = Single
 | Occupation              = Terrorist
 | Education               =
-| Origin                  = Fanatic
+| Origin                  = [[Homo sapiens|Human]]
-| PlaceOfBirth            =
+| PlaceOfDeath            = [[Rumekistan]]
 | Creators                = Mark Gruenwald; Paul Neary
 | First                   = Captain America #312
-| Death                   = Deadpool Vol 3 #43
+| Death                   = Cable & Deadpool Vol 1 #28
+| Overview             = Karl Morgenthau, aka '''Flag-Smasher''', was a freedom-fighter whose goal was to liberate Earth from the oppression of national rule.{{r|Captain America #312}}
-| HistoryText             = Karl Morgenthau was the son of a wealthy Swiss banker turned diplomat. As a youth, he accompanied his father on his diplomatic mission to various countries, never living in the same place for more than a year. Although he learned to speak several foreign languages fluently, the constant readjustment to new environments hampered his social growth. Consequently, he felt an outcast and became too introverted to form many friendships.
+| HistoryText             =
-While living in [[Tokyo]], Morgenthau began to study martial arts, and at fifteen earned his black belt in karate. At the age of nineteen, he followed his father, who had become a delegate to the [[United Nations]], to [[United States of America|America]] and enrolled in [[Columbia University]]. He intended to major in political science and follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a diplomat. However, when his father was trampled to death in a riot outside the [[Latveria|Latverian]] embassy, the young man's goals changed. He felt that his father had pursued the goal of world peace and unity far too passively. He would spread the message using the only language he felt the world would respond to, the language of violence.
+===Early Life===
+Karl Morgenthau was the son of a wealthy [[Swiss]] banker-turned-diplomat. As a youth, he accompanied his father on his diplomatic missions to various countries, never living in the same place for more than a year. Although he learned to speak several foreign languages fluently, the constant readjustment to new environments hampered his social growth. Consequently, he felt like an outcast and became too introverted to form many friendships.
+While living in [[Tokyo]], Morgenthau began to study martial arts, and at fifteen earned his black belt in karate. At the age of nineteen, he followed his father, who had become a delegate to the [[United Nations]], to [[United States of America|America]] and enrolled in [[Columbia University]]. He intended to major in political science and follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a diplomat. However, when his father was trampled to death in a riot outside the [[Latveria]]n embassy, the young man's goals changed. He felt that his father had pursued the goal of world peace and unity far too passively. He would spread the message using the only language he felt the world would respond to, the language of violence.
-Employing his vast inheritance to finance his mission, Morgenthau contracted certain unrevealed parties to supply him with an arsenal of experimental weaponry. He then fashioned himself the costumed identity of the Flag-Smasher and returned to New York to begin a campaign of terrorist assaults on symbols of world separatism such as national flags and embassies. Though these random strikes he hoped to convey the message that nationalism is an outmoded concept which tends to promote disunity among the family of man. Learning that the hero [[Captain America (Steven Rogers)|Captain America]] was going to make a public speech, Flag-Smasher held the hundreds of people attending the press conference hostage, forcing them to listen to his anti-nationalistic rhetoric. When the confrontation turned physical, Captain America overpowered the Flag-Smasher.
+===Flag-Smasher===
-Flag-Smasher was deported from the country, but soon joined the subversive organization [[Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind (Earth-616)|U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.]], whose goals mirrored Flag-Smasher's own.
+Employing his vast inheritance to finance his mission, Morgenthau contracted certain unrevealed parties to supply him with an arsenal of experimental weaponry. He then fashioned himself the costumed identity of the Flag-Smasher and returned to New York to begin a campaign of terrorist assaults on symbols of world separatism such as national flags and embassies. Through these random strikes he hoped to convey the message that nationalism is an outmoded concept which tends to promote disunity among the family of man. Learning that the hero [[Steven Rogers (Earth-616)|Captain America]] was going to make a public speech, Flag-Smasher held the crowd of hundreds attending the press conference hostage, forcing them to listen to his anti-nationalistic rhetoric. When the confrontation turned physical, Captain America overpowered the Flag-Smasher.{{r|Captain America Vol 1 312}}
+===U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.===
-When [[Wade Wilson (Earth-616)|Deadpool]] blew up their Helicarrier, numerous friends and family of the surviving U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. soldiers perished.{{r|Deadpool Vol 3 23}} After an attempt to have revenge on Deadpool failed and ended up with Flag-Smasher threatened for life,{{r|Deadpool Vol 3 33}} the Flag-Smasher gave the order to never attempt to face Deadpool again, while keeping the motive secret from his subordinates.
+Morgenthau was deported from the country, but soon joined the subversive organization [[Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind (Earth-616)|U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M.]], whose goals mirrored his own. He hijacked an airliner and held it hostage, demanding Captain America surrender to him. Cap tried to talk him down by agreeing with his vision of world peace, but disagreed with his methods. Cap was forced to take him down with the help of [[Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (Earth-616)|S.H.I.E.L.D.]].{{r|Captain America Vol 1 321|322}}
+It was later revealed the organization U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. was being funded by the [[National Socialist German Workers Party (Earth-616)|Nazi]] criminal, the [[Johann Shmidt (Earth-616)|Red Skull]]. Morgenthau, now fleeing for his life and hunted by his own people, was forced to team up with the new [[Jonathan Walker (Earth-616)|Captain America (John Walker)]] along with [[Lemar Hoskins (Earth-616)|Battlestar]] and [[Dennis Dunphy (Earth-616)|Demolition Man]]. They thwarted their plot to set off a global EMP that would render all technology useless. He revealed that working with the Red Skull would destroy his integrity and ideals.{{r|Captain America Vol 1 348|349}}
-The rest of the U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. members grew tired of Flag-Smasher's reluctance to face Deadpool, and one of them shot him from behind and declared himself the [[Flag-Smasher (Carl) (Earth-616)|new Flag-Smasher]], with the first action to have revenge on Deadpool.{{r|Deadpool Vol 3 43}}
+Karl usurped the leadership of U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M. once again, and attempted to supply weapon to subversives in the US, but was stopped by the vigilante [[Frank Castle (Earth-616)|Punisher]] and [[Marc Spector (Earth-616)|Moon Knight]].{{r|Marc Spector: Moon Knight Vol 1 8|9}} He later tried to spread anarchy across the country by supplying weapons once again to ne'er-do-wells, but was stopped by the [[Johnathon Blaze (Earth-616)|Ghost Rider]] and the Punisher.{{r|Ghost Rider Vol 3 5|6}}
+===Roxxon===
+[[File:Flag Smasher 003.jpg|thumb|left|with grey skin]]
+Morgenthau was captured and drugged by [[Calvin Halderman (Earth-616)|Calvin Halderman]], the CEO of [[Roxxon]] who used him to secure the companies oil interests. The drug's mutated him into a monstrous grey creature with no high brain functions and forced to follow his master's orders. He was sent on a mission to assassinate a couple of reporters, who were investigating Roxxon. Captain America intervened and was forced to take down the mind control creature.{{r|Captain America Annual Vol 1 1999}}
+===V-Battalion===
+The Flag-Smasher was installed as the ruler of [[Rumekistan]] by the V-Battalion as a compromise between powers.{{r|Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting Vol 1 1|4}} It was later revealed that the Flag-Smasher had allegedly been assassinated by [[Neena Thurman (Earth-616)|Domino]] as part of a series of events which installed [[Nathan Summers (Earth-616)|Cable]] as leader of that nation.{{r|Cable & Deadpool Vol 1 #28}}
 | Powers                  =
@@ Line 53: / Line 69: @@
 | Weapons                 = Mace
+| Notes                   =
-| Notes                   = Flag Smasher had a grey skin and hair when he was under mind control of [[Roxxon Oil]]. {{r|Captain America Annual Vol 1 1999}}
-[[File:Flag Smasher 003.jpg|thumb|left|with grey skin]]
 | Trivia                  =
 | Links                   = * Unofficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe